Working in Multidisciplinary Teams
Working in Multidisciplinary Teams
Teamwork is a highly valued skill in modern workplaces. Working in a team isn't easy, but it can be learnt and improved continuously.
Course description
Teamwork skills are increasingly in demand.
The level of complexity and instability inside organisations is so high that even very competent professionals cannot handle it by themselves.
Organisations today need:
- the integration of different skills and kinds of expertise into a wide spectrum of professionalism;
- a broader and holistic problem-solving that derives from different points of view;
- the contamination between different management styles, attitudes, cultures and values to effectively respond to the diversity and richness of the surrounding environment.
Multifunctionality best represents both the potential richness and the difficulties in team work.
Working together in a team isn’t always easy, but it can be learnt and improved continuously.
This course, based on Bruce Tuckman’s model of group/team development, will show you the different difficulties and challenges that groups/teams need to face during the different stages of their development in order to become a High-Performing Team.
Total workload of the course: 12 hours
In collaboration with:
Intended Learning Outcomes
By actively participating in this MOOC, you will achieve different intended learning outcomes (ILOs).
- Define what a team is and identify the different team dynamics
ESCO: working in teams ESCO: working with others - List the main characteristics of a team and factors that bring it to be successfull
ESCO: build team spirit ESCO: building and developing teams - Understand different modalities of decision-making within a team
ESCO: participatory decision-making - Recognize possible reasons why teams can fail and how to intervene
ESCO: supervising a team or group
Prerequisites
There are no prerequisites to take this course, but all of your personal experiences related to working in multidisciplinary teams will be a useful starting point.
Activities
Over and above consulting the content, in the form of videos and other web-based resources, you will have the opportunity to discuss course topics and to share ideas with your peers in the Forum of this MOOC.
Section outline
-
-
-
Week 1 will take you to the forming phase of a Team, starting with clarifying what differentiates a team from a group. It introduces the premises that are necessary to create a successful team from an organizational and structural perspective and then focuses on the areas that the team must define ever since its start, referring to the GRPI model (Goals, Roles, Processes, Interpersonal Relations). Finally, in this week you will have the opportunity to understand how to define a Team’s structure in terms of position, responsibilities and roles.
-
Week 2 is all about the storming phase of a Team. You’ll have a deep dive into the main causes of conflicts within the team and how to learn to distinguish between self-perceived, expected, and exerted roles. You’ll also have the opportunity to explore the signals of a demotivated team so that you can read them and how to motivate members more effectively. The week will offer also insight into the definition of “collective individualism” and the effects of internal competition. Staying a bit longer in the storming phase, this week will make you think about ways to handle disagreement and look proactively to conflict resolutions.
-
Week 3 focuses on the importance of setting the norms that orient and align behaviors of team members. How are norms created in a team? Which are the criteria that support team effectiveness? How can team meetings become better opportunities to work together towards the desired results? During the week, you will also learn different modalities of the decision-making process within a team and how to choose the most suitable modality based on specific situations.
-
Week 4 is all about the dynamics and behaviors which can be observed in a high-performing team. A High Performing Team is not only characterized by excellent results: there are also some traps that can undermine the effectiveness of the team. How important is cooperation for the success of the team? You’ll learn about the fundamental elements for the creation of trust and cohesion. By analysing the main reasons why teams can fail, you will learn what makes a good team player.
-
-
-
Assessment
Your final grade for the course will be based on the results of your answers to the assessed quizzes. You have an unlimited number of attempts at each quiz, but you must wait 15 minutes before you can try again. You will have successfully completed the course if you score a total of 60% (or higher) in each of the assessed quizzes.
The maximum score possible for each quiz is given at the beginning of the quiz. You can view your score in the quiz on your last attempt or on the 'Grades' page.
Certificate
You can achieve a certificate in the form of an Open Badge for this course, if you obtain, at least, 60% of the total score in the graded quizzes and by filling in the final survey.
Once you have completed the required tasks, you will be able to access ‘Get the Open Badge’ and start issuing the badge. Instructions on how to access the badge will be sent to your e-mail address.
The Badge does not confer any academic credit, grade or degree.
Information about fees and access to materials
You can access the course completely online and absolutely free of charge
Course faculty
Ingrid Hollweck
Teacher
Ingrid Hollweck graduated in Economics and Commerce from the Otto Friedrich Universität, Bamberg (Germany) and earned a Master in Business Administration from SDA Bocconi, Milan (Italy). She has been dealing with the development of people, teams and organizations, first within the companies for which he worked, then as a consultant, for 18 years. Ingrid Hollweck is an I.C.F (International Coach Federation) certified coach. She has been working as an Executive & Corporate Coach for companies for 10 years. Other than that, she is a lecturer and facilitator for seminars on the topics of leadership and organisational behaviour.
Contact details
If you have any enquiries about the course or if you need technical assistance please contact pok@polimi.it. For further information, see FAQ page.